Opinion (liberation.fr): “Imagine the head of the European Central Bank hovering in a helicopter above the major cities and throwing money! Such a step would indicate how strong the doubts are about the effectiveness of the monetary policy that is designed to boost economic growth and prevent deflation.

“The interest rate of the European Central Bank according to which it lends money has gradually been reduced to 0%. The interest rates in France have even become negative. 40% of the debts of the European nations (2.86 trillion Euros) are now traded at a value less than 0%. To prevent the investment of money in bank accounts, they have decided to impose a tax on them hoping that the banks will begin to give loans. But this monetary policy of the European Central Bank has not yielded results.

“The direct distribution of money among the inhabitants is something that must engender a rise in consumption. If money is given to each citizen, he will spend it immediately, but the mass of commodities will remain as before. As a result of this, the money that is distributed will automatically lead to an increase in consumption and a rise in prices. Many economists consider this suggestion to be absurd.

“The proposal for the direct transfer of money to the accounts of the citizens of Europe raises questions of a democratic character, like: Who has the right to make a decision regarding the money? Is it the democratically chosen parliament and not the independent Central Bank who should alone decide without any oversight by the citizens? To whom and how should this money be distributed?

Everything depends on the question of the creation of a true European budget. Companies and families don’t want credit because of uncertainty about the future. The Central Banks are transferring tons of money into the economic conduits in vain, because all of them are missing the target, meaning that they are not influencing the volume consumption.”

My Comment: The era of money is over. We must look for another incentive— the spiritual opposite of money. It seems impossible to replace the distinct egoistic incentive with an indistinct altruistic incentive, but the world is coming to this, and its internal program is required to implement it.

“Kesef” (money) comes from the word “Kisuf” (yearning), meaning a “Masach” (screen) that covers (Mekaseh) the ego, and it speaks precisely about not needing to receive but to distribute, just as the distinguished economists have said themselves.[181960]

Question: Why does a person who begins to go along the path toward correction continue to suffer? And therefore, what is the difference between the “path of Torah” and the “path of suffering”?

Answer: A person who is going along the path of correction must already discern that the suffering that he gets, which attracts him toward correction, is called sufferings of love.

When I give a child small jobs, he or she is not suffering! These are actions the child must perform, and in this manner he advances toward a better state. If he perceives this correctly, the whole path even becomes a way of discovery for him.[181851]From the Kabbalah Lesson in Russian 2/14/16

Question: You say that we have to take the opportunities that the Creator gives us. Are the sufferings that we feel these opportunities? How should a person who doesn’t have a point in the heart live in a world in which the spiritual ascent has already begun?

Answer: If a person doesn’t have a point in the heart, if he has nothing to do with the wisdom of Kabbalah, he doesn’t owe anything to anyone whatsoever. He can live his life peacefully until this point appears in him.

Such a person suffers because he still advances toward the revelation of the goal of creation, but he does so instinctively, subconsciously, by receiving blows, just as all of nature develops.[181848]From the Kabbalah Lesson in Russian 2/14/16

New Life #548 – The Holocaust And The New Jewish Identity
Dr. Michael Laitman in conversation with Oren Levi and Nitzah Mazoz

How has the Holocaust affected our development as a nation? What should we understand from what happened and what is the Jewish identity we have to build so that we will become a model and a source of affinity for the whole world?

Summary

The world is advancing not only technologically; we also need to develop a new awareness, a positive attitude to everyone. Today it is clear that we can achieve anything technologically and there is great abundance, but the relations between people are getting worse.

This process started a hundred years ago. We were given a chance to return to our land and to re-establish the connection between us. But because we didn’t do so, the world was thrown into maelstrom of wars, revolutions, and finally the Holocaust.

After the Holocaust we were given the chance to build ourselves in the land of Israel. Today, the world is collapsing and the ego is destroying everything. Before the Holocaust we survived in exile and kept the religious customs. But because we did not advance to a new consciousness of leading the world to love, we receive a negative push.

All the afflictions we have undergone since establishing of the State of Israel stem from the delay in our advancement toward a new consciousness. The true internal Jewish identity is that we are all one bundle. We have to correct our egoism.

Our nation has been divided into two groups in Israel, religious and secular, and there are numerous factions within each group. We have to build an umbrella that will protect us from hatred, rejection, and detachment. We must awaken the connecting force. Let’s spur the positive force in the nation above the negative force of egoism and hold the two reins.

The revelation of the force of connection and love between people is called the revelation of the Creator. This is the goal of our life. When we were in exile we kept the traditional Jewish way. But in Israel, the negative force and hatred erupted. Today we have to add the positive force that will lead the nation to connection. We need people who can lead and educate the nation to this end. Then the positive force, the force of love, will spread among us and will put in every human’s heart the care for the well being of others.

The future Jewish identity is to lead humanity to love and connection, and will thus become a spiritual nation.[157351]From KabTV’s “New Life #548 – The Holocaust And The New Jewish Identity,” 4/7/15